Creating Print Ready PDF Files

Printing your book will require you to have two separate print ready PDF files for the printer.  Having the files prepared exactly as the book printer needs them will save you a tremendous amount of time and money during this process.

Interior Book File

The interior of your book will need to be a PDF file that is set up with the proper trim size (width and height of the book), it must have all the fonts embedded and the text or images of the book need to be placed so that the margins are correct.  Ask your book printer what their requirements are for the interior file so that you can submit the file properly.  Each book printer may be slightly different.  Working with your book printer during the design process will make the book printing process much easier to navigate through.

Cover File

Cover files for book printing need to be set up in a very specific way.  For paperback books that are perfect bound, the book printer is going to need a PDF file that has a back cover, spine and a front cover, from left to right in the proper measurements.  If your file is not correct, your book will not look good when it is finished.  Do yourself a favor.  Hire somebody to make sure that your cover file is prepared and submitted correctly.

By paying to have it done right the first time, you can save a lot of money by not having to go reprint a book because the cove was not correct or lose time and money during the book printing process by having to continually submit new files and get new proofs.

Hard cover book printing will usually require a dust jacket or a printed case wrap.  The book printer will need very specific measurements for these files.  Ask your book printer for a template that you can give your designer so the file is created properly.

Ensuring that you provide your printer a proper print ready PDF file is critical.  That is why it is often a good idea to hire a professional book designer, who can deal directly with the printer.  They speak the same language.